Electric Mountain

This hydroelectric plant owned by First Hydro Company in North Wales has been built deep inside Eldin Mountain on the edge of Snowdonia National Park and is Europe’s largest man-made cave, big enough to fit St Paul’s Cathedral inside!

Visitor Centre

Go straight to the Visitor Centre when you arrive – it’s free to enter and cleverly explores the operation of the power station. Although the Visitor Centre is very interesting and provides a great introduction for your day it won’t be enough on its own to keep your family motivated on your day out!

Book an Underground Tour

Descend deep inside the mountain on a tour of the plant and see the workings of this massive and impressive site. The tour starts with a short film and then it’s time to hop on a bus that speeds you through the dark tunnels in to the heart of the mountain. Once you’re through the tunnels the true scale of the hydroelectric plant becomes apparent, its sheer vastness makes you feel like you and the bus and the people on it have all been shrunk in some blockbuster animation film! The tour concludes with an audio-visual display describing the construction of the site before the bus whisks you back through the tunnels and returns to its normal size.

Accessibility

It’s advisable to book ahead for the tour, especially during peak times in school holidays. Some buses are fitted for wheelchair users but check when booking to be sure of availability. If you have very small children then you’ll a member of the family to look after them while you take the tour as under 4’s aren’t allowed on the buses. No bags or cameras are allowed on the buses for security reasons.

Highlight of the Day

Getting a close-up view of the world’s fastest release turbines – they go from a standstill to full power in just seconds and can, at its highest output, power the whole of Wales!

Further Information

Nearest train station : Bangor (15 mins by car or 30 mins on a bus)
Car parking : Pay and Display on site
Website : www.fhc.co.uk